KINGS POINT, N.Y. — Completing the second game of their scheduled doubleheader from Saturday in both teams league openers, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy used a big fifth inning to break open a one-run contest and defeated the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team 12-2 on Monday afternoon in Skyline Conference play.

J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) and Matthew Trudden (Broad Channel, N.Y./Christ The King) drove in the lone Bears runs.

The Basics

• Final Score: Merchant Marine 12, St. Joseph's 2 (7 inn.)
• Records: Merchant Marine (15-2, 4-0), St. Joseph's (0-13, 0-2)
• Location: Kings Point, N.Y. — Lower Roosevelt Field

How It Happened

• The hosts picked up two early runs assembling a two-out rally in the first, loading the bases and pushing across both runs on a hit batter and a walk.
• St. Joseph's responded their next at-bat, loading the bases also on Joseph Langan (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and Kyle McLaughlin (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) walks and a Paul Pellegrino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood H.S.) infield single. J.J. McLaughlin brought home the first Bear run with a grounder followed by a Matthew Trudden (Broad Channel, N.Y./Christ The King) that knotted the game at 2-all.
• USMMA picked up a solo run in the second with a Wyatt Wilson sac fly that put the hosts up for good and broke the game open with five runs in the fourth on three hits. The Mariners tacked on three runs in the fifth and a solo run in the sixth to reach the run rule.

For the Bears

• J. J. McLaughlin was the only Bear to record a hit and RBI on the afternoon, finishing 1-for-3.
• Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North), Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) and Paul Pellegrino knocked the other three hits for the Bears.
• Daniel Egan (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) took the loss on the mound working three innings and striking out one.
• Peter Terranova (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) had a strong 1 1/3 innings in relief, allowing just one hit and his lone run scoring unearned.

Next Up for the Bears

• SJC travels to New Paltz on Wednesday (Mar. 28) for the first meeting ever between the two squads. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. with live stats on SJCBears.com.